When Salihan Took On the Raj

P.Sainath
About Article
 In "When Salihan took on the Raj", an article
published in the website People's Archive of Rural
India, P. Sainath throws light on the less known
story of Demathi Dei Sabar ('Salihan'), an Adivasi of
the Sabar tribe of Odisha who along with other
Adivasi women took on the armed British police
who had cracked down on their village Saliha in
the year 1930.
 In this article P. Sainath pays tribute to the bravery
of 'Salihan' who is a forgotten figure in history
living in "degrading poverty."
Summary

 Salihan represents the

courageous Adivasis of
the village Saliha.
 The Raj is the repressive
British Raj.
 Demathi Dei Sabar is working in the field with
other Adivasi women.
 A youngster comes running to tell her that the
British police have come to their village and are
 attacking her father, burning down some homes
and looting their grains.
 Demathi Dei Sabar rushes to Saliha with 40 other
young women.
 She found her father lying on the ground bleeding
with a bullet wound on his leg.
 When she saw this, she lost her temper and
attacked the police officer with the lathi in her
hand. He was standing there with a gun.
 In those days, the women took lathis with them
when they went to work in the fields or forest to
protect themselves from wild animals.
 Demathi Dei attacked the officer. The 40 other
women beat up the other police force.
 Demathi chased the officer down the street,
beating him up all the way.
 He was surprised and he ran. She then picked up
her father and removed him from the spot.
 But later he was arrested while leading another
agitation.
 Kartik Sabar, her father, was a main organiser of
anti-British activities in the area.
 Demathi Dei Sabar is known as 'Salihan' after the
village in Nuapada district where she was born.
She is a freedom fighter of Odisha and she is
 celebrated for having beaten an armed British
officer with a lathi.
 There is fearlessness about her. She does not
believe that she did anything extraordinary.
 She did that because she says, "They destroyed
our homes, our crops.
 And they attacked my father. Of course I would
have fought them." The year was 1930 and she
was 16 years old.
 The Raj was taking serious action on pro-
Independence meetings being held in the
rebellious region.
 Demathi's action against the British police was a
feature of what came to be known as the Saliha
Uprising and firing.
 Demathi was about 90 when I met her. Although
she is losing her sight, she has still strength and
beauty in her face.
 She must have been beautiful, tall and strong
when young.
 Her long arms could use a lathi. That officer who
was beaten by her must have suffered.
 He did well in running away. Her great courage
was unrewarded and even forgotten, outside the
village.
 She was living in extreme poverty. Her only
possession was a multi-coloured official certificate
authenticating her heroism.
 That too spoke more of her father than of her, and
did not record the counter- attack she led.
 She had no pension, no assistance from either the
centre or the state of Odisha.
 She was finding it hard to remember the past.
What she remembers clearly is her father lying
with a bullet wound on his leg.
 When I mentioned it, she spoke with anger that as
if it was happening right in front of her.
 It also made her remember her past. She said her
elder sister and others were arrested.
 They are no more. Her father spent two years in
Raipur jail.
 Her region is now dominated by feudals who were
helping the British.
 They have benefitted more from the freedom that
Salihan and her people fought for.
 You can see very rich people there amidst the vast
majority of poor people She gives us a great smile
but she is getting tired.
 She struggles to recall the names of her three sons
Brishnu Bhoi, Ankur Bhoi and a Akura Bhoi.
 She waves at us as we say goodbye and leave.
Demathi Dei Sabar 'Salihan' is still smiling. 'Salihan'
died a little over a year after our meeting in 2002.

For Demathi Sabar 'Salihan'

They won't tell your story, Salihan

And I can't see you making Page 3
That's for the painted whatnot,
the liposuctioned lot,
the rest's for the Captains of Industry
Prime Time's not for you, Salihan
It is, and this isn't funny,
for those who murder and maim
who burn and who blame
And speak saintly then, of Harmony

The Brits torched your village, Salihan

So many men carrying guns
They came by the train bringing terror and pain
Till sanity itself was undone
They burned all there was, Salihan
after looting the cash and the grain
Brutes of the Raj
they led a violent charge
But you faced them with total disdain
You strode down the street towards him
you faced that man with the gun
In Saliha they still tell the story
of the battle you fought
and you won
Your kin lay bleeding around you
your father, a bullet in his leg
Still you stood tall,
Drove those Brits to the wall
For you went there to fight, not to beg
You struck that officer, Salihan
And thrashed him before he could move
When he finally did
he limped and he hid
seeking refuge from 16-year-old you
Forty girls against the Raj, Salihan
And strong and beautiful, too
Now you're shrunk and you're grey, your body
withers away
you But there's a spark in those eyes that's still you

Those who toadied the Raj, Salihan,

they rule your poor village today
And build temples of stone
but they'll never atone
For bartering our freedoms away
You die as you lived, Salihan
Hungry, with little to eat

In history's shades
your memory, it fades,
like Raipur jail's roster sheet
Had I but your heart, Salihan
What success would I then not see
Though that battle itself
was not for yourself
But that others might also be free
Salihan Our children should know you, Salihan

But what is your claim to fame?

No ramp did you glide
No crown wear with pride
Nor lend Pepsi and Coke your name
Do speak to me, Salihan For endless an hour as
you please This hack, when we part, wants to
write of your heart
Not romance India's Captains of Sleaze
1. Why is Demathi Del Sabar called "Salihan"?
Ans: She is called Salihan because she comes from
the village of Saliha which is in Nuapada district in
Odisha. She was a symbol of the village which
showed its resistance to the British Raj.
2. What made Demathi Dei Sabar lose her
temper?
Ans: The sight of her father lying on the ground
bleeding from a bullet wound on his leg and a
British officer with a gun standing near him made
her lose her temper.
3. Why did the women take lathis as they went to
work in the fields or forest?
Ans: The women took lathis as they went to work
in the fields or forest because there was the
danger of wild animals attacking them.
4. What is page 3 of a newspaper?
Ans: Page 3 of a newspaper is used, especially in
the big cities of India, to give news about actors,
celebrities and other famous personalities.
5. How did Salihan and the women come to know
of the attack of British police on their village?
Ans: Salihan and the women were working in the
field when a youngster came yelling that the
British police had come to their village and were
attacking Salihan's father, burning down some
homes and looting their cash and grains.
6. "There is a spark in those eyes that's still you."
Explain.
Ans: The writer is speaking to Salihan. When she
chased the British officer with a lathi, she was only
16 years old. She was then strong and beautiful
with light in her eyes. Now when she is speaking
with the writer, she is 90 years old. She is
emaciated and grey. But the writer tells her that
the spark in her eyes has not left her; it is still
there.
 How many more days’ democracy
Sameer Tanti
About Poet
 Sameer Tanti is an Assamese language poet
from India.
 He is the 2012 winner of the Assam Valley
Literary Award.

About Poem
 How many more days' democracy?" is a heart touching
20-line poem written by renowned Assamese poet
Sameer Tanti.
 The poem was translated to English by Siddharth Tanti.
 The poet is trying to point out the bad state at which the
democracy is in through this poem.
 Poem is full of personification.
 “Democracy is the government of the people, by the
people, for the people.”
Poem
And how many more days this way, democracy?
Head down, on bended knees, with eyes closed
No end to your mutilation
No end to your humiliation
I hear your bedlam, democracy.
How I love you with my life
I see your lips sewed together
Your eyes covered with a blindfold.
I wish to speak out, yet I cannot
Perhaps harm befalls you
I desire to ask, yet I cannot
For fear it will offend.
Democracy, so much darkness inside your home
Yet outside I see a riot of light
Democracy, I wish you a long life
One day before you become barren
One day before you turn bloody
Let me speak out for you
Democracy, before you weep
May I erase myself from your heart.
1. "I hear your bedlam, democracy." Explain.
The poet is saying that democracy is in utter confusion
and it is making loud roars which mean nothing to
sensible people.
2. How does democracy appear to the poet?
To the poet, democracy appears to be walking with
head down, on bended knees, and with eyes closed. It is
being mutilated and humiliated.
3. Why does he call democracy 'barren'?
He calls democracy barren because it has become
unproductive. Democracy is supposed to be a
government of the people, by the people and for the
people. But here we see that hardly anything good is
done for the majority of the people whose dreams
remain unfulfilled.
4. "Democracy, I wish you a long life." Identify the figure
of speech in this line.
Personification. Democracy is considered here as a
living human being.
5. How does the poet describe the present condition of
Democracy?
Democracy is in bad shape. The poet asks democracy,
how many more days she can go this way with head
down, on bended knees and with eyes closed. There is
no end to her mutilation and her humiliation. He can
see her in utter confusion and she is making loud
uproars which people do not understand at all. The
poet loves Democracy with all his life. He wants her to
thrive and do well. But she is in danger. Democracy, we
all know, is a government of the people, by the people
and for the people. But what is the reality? The vast
majority of the people are poor and suffering. But
democracy is serving only a handful of rich and
powerful people. The marginalised sections of the
society had great dreams. But even after so many years
of our independence, their dreams remain unfulfilled.
There are millions who are will hungry and poor
without even having a roof over their heads
 The Objective Resolution
Jawaharlal Nehru
 Jawaharlal Nehru was India's first prime minister,
serving as prime minister of the India from 15
August 1947 until 26 January 1950, and thereafter
of the Republic of India until his death in May
1964. (Almost 17 years)
 The Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946
 In total there were 299 members in the assembly
 The President of this Assembly was Dr Rajendra
Prasad.
 To design the constitution a Drafting Committee
was formed. Dr B. R. Ambedkar who is regarded
as the 'Father of the Constitution of India'
 The objective resolution was introduced in the
constituent assembly on the 5th day (Dec 13 1946)
by Jawaharlal Nehru
 This resolution was unanimously adopted by the
assembly on 22 Jan 1947
 It took the committee three years to draft the
constitution, holding eleven sessions over 165
days.
 Constitution Day also known as "National Law
Day" is celebrated in India on 26 November every
year to commemorate the adoption of the
Constitution of India.
 On 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly
of India adopted to the Constitution of India
 It came into effect on 26 January 1950, Republic
Day is the day when India marks and celebrates
the date on which the Constitution of India came
into effect
 The preamble of the constitution is based on this
resolution
 The constitution of India is the longest written
constitution in the world (1,46,385 words)
 Objective resolutions were some guiding
principles that helped our leaders in drafting the
Constitution of India.
 In his speech, which is titled "A Tryst with
Destiny", on the fifth day of the first session of
the Constituent Assembly, Nehru emphasised
many things.
Objectives
1. India is a sovereign, independent republic.
2. India should be a union comprising former British
Indian territory. Indian States, and additional areas
outside of British India and the places that choose to
join the Union.
3. The territories that comprise the Union shall be
autonomous units, exercising all powers and
responsibilities of government and administration
except those designated to or vested in the Union.
4. All sovereign and independent India's powers and
authority, as well as its constitution, should derive
from the people.
5. All Indians must be guaranteed social, economic, and
political fairness; equality of position and opportunity;
equality before the law; and basic freedoms of
expression, belief, faith, worship, vocation, association
and action subject to the law and public morality.
6. Minorities, backward and tribal communities, the
poor and other disadvantaged groups must be well
protected.
7. The territorial integrity of the Republic, as well as its
sovereign rights on land, sea and air, should be
preserved in accordance with civilised country justice
and law.
8. The country would contribute fully and willingly to
the advancement of world peace and the well-being of
humanity.
Conclusion
The objectives listed here constitute the core structure
of the Constitution. Pluralism is the cornerstone of
Indian culture, whereas religious tolerance is the
foundation of Indian secularism. Here we can see the
scope of basic rights and governmental policy directive
principles. India has arisen as a sovereign, socialistic,
secular democratic republic that guarantees its
inhabitants Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

1. When was the Objectives Resolution presented?

Ans: The Objectives Resolution was presented on 13
December 1946.
2. Which sections of the society are adequately
safeguarded in the Objectives Resolution?
Ans: Minorities, backward and tribal communities, the
poor and other disadvantaged groups.
3. What are the rights guaranteed to all citizens of
India?
Ans: All citizens of India are guaranteed social,
economic, and political fairness; equality of position
and opportunity; equality before law, and basic
freedoms of expression, belief, faith, worship vocation,
association and action subject to the law and public
morality.
4. What is the real step or real work of the
Constituent Assembly as mentioned in the speech?
Ans: The real step or real work of the Constituent
Assembly as mentioned in the speech is the high
adventure of giving shape, in the printed and written
word, to a Nation's dream and aspiration. In short it is
the making of the Constitution.
 Knowledge is Power
Yuval Noah Harari
About Essay
 Knowledge is Power" is an excerpt from "Sapiens: A
Brief History of Humankind".
 This chapter discusses the relationship between science
and technology.
 Harari says that all technologies are not developed by
scientific research.
 Sometimes uneducated craftsmen create new
technologies using trial and error methods.
 Today scientific research and technological development
are mainly in the field of defence and wars are scientific
productions.
 "Knowledge is Power" critically evaluates the
transformation of new technologies to make new
weapons.
 Today scientific research and technological development
are mainly in the field of defence and wars are scientific
productions.
 "Knowledge is Power" critically evaluates the
transformation of new technologies to make new
weapons.
 In the Chapter "Knowledge is Power", Yual Noah Harari
very convincingly tells us how knowledge becomes
power especially in the modern warfare.
 In 1620, Francis Bacon published a scientific manifesto
titled THE NEW INSTRUMENT in it he argued that
'knowledge is power'. The real test of knowledge is
utility. A theory that enables us to do new things is
knowledge.

SHORT SUMMARY

 Science has given us many new tools. Some are mental

tools which are used to predict death rates and
economic growth.
 Technological tools are more important. The connection
between science and technology is so strong, that many
people hardly differentiate between them.
 Prior to 1500, science and technology were separate
fields. When Bacon connected the two, it was a novel
idea.
 As time passed, this relationship got closer and their
they were tied together in the 19th century.
 Even in 1800, the rulers who wanted a powerful army or
business men who wanted successful businesses would
not finance research in physics, biology or economics.
 Rulers financed educational institutions to spread
traditional knowledge to maintain the existing order.
 Here and there, new technologies were developed by
uneducated craftsmen through the trial and error
method.
 Modern States ask their scientists to provide solutions in
almost every area, from energy to health to waste
disposal.
 Today there is military-industrial-scientific complex
because today's wars are scientific productions.
 The world's military forces initiate, fund and steer a
large part of humanity's scientific research and
technological development When World War One was
becoming interminable, both sides asked the scientists
to break the deadlock.
 The scientists then provided combat aircraft, poison gas,
tanks, submarines, better machine guns, rifles and
bombs.
 In WW II science played a greater role. Americans
developed the atomic bombs. Japan had vowed to fight
to death. But it was the two atom bombs that were
dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that made Japan
surrender.
CONCLUSION
 Science gives not only offensive weapons but also
defensive ones
 The Americans believe that the solution to terrorism is
technological rather than political
 If they fund nanotechnology research adequately, the
USA can send bionic spy flies to all the centres of the
terrorists-Afghanistan, Yemen and North Africa.
 They can develop FMRI (Functional magnetic resonance
imaging) scanners to be placed at the airports and they
 will recognise angry and hateful thoughts in people's
brains.
 We are not sure if it will be good to develop bionic spy
files and thought reading scanners. But the US is giving
money to brain laboratories to work on them.
QUESTION AND ANSWERS

1. Why do most people have a hard time digesting

modern science?
Ans: Most people have a hard time digesting modern
science because of the mathematical language it uses.
Many of us cannot understand quantum mechanics, cell
biology or macroeconomics.
2. What does Francis Bacon mean by "knowledge is
power"?
Ans: By saying "Knowledge is Power" Francis bacon
means that the test of knowledge is not whether it is
true, but whether it empowers us. The real test is utility.
3. What are the new tools offered by Science over
centuries?
Ans: The new tools offered by Science over centuries are
mental as well as technological. The mental tools are
used to predict death rates and economic growth.
Technological tools are more important as they are used
in agriculture, industry and warfare.
4. What is the confusion between science and
technology among people?
Ans: The confusion between science and technology
among people is that the connection between science
and technology is so strong that many people hardly
differentiate between them. Prior to 1500, science and
technology were separate fields.
5. Why do rulers finance educational Institutions?
Ans: Rulers finance educational Institutions because
they want to spread traditional knowledge to maintain
the existing order.
6. What are the new wonder-weapons invented during
the First World War?
Ans: The new wonder-weapons invented during the First
World War are combat aircraft, poison gas, tanks,
submarines, better machine guns, rifles and bombs.
7. "German soldiers and civilians thought not all was
lost during the Second World War. Give one reason.
Ans: Germany kept fighting on even though the British,
American and Soviet armies were closing in. But the
German soldiers and civilians thought not all was lost
because they believed that German scientists were
about to make a difference with the so-called miracle
weapons such as the V-2 rocket and the jet-powered
aircraft spy flies to all the centres of the terrorists
Alghanistan, Yemen and North Africa. They can develop
FMRI (Functional magnetic resonance imaging) scanners
to be placed at the airports and they will recognise
angry and hateful thoughts in people's brains.
9. What is the surprisingly recent phenomenon about
science and technology?
Ans: The surprisingly recent phenomenon about science
and technology is the obsession with military technology
from tanks to atom bombs to spy flies.
10. How was gunpowder invented?
Ans: Gunpowder was invented in China accidently by
Daoist alchemists searching for the elixir of life.
 A white heron
Sarah orne jewett

About Story
• A White Heron" is an example of
regionalism', a post-civil war literature
which celebrates the unique
environment and local culture of
specific regions of America.
• Shortly after the story's first
publication in 1886, Literary World referred to it as the
"purest and tenderest, the most idyllic of all Miss Jewett's
works."
 The short story creatively describes a nine-year-old rural
girl, who lives within Maine's coastal wilderness in tune
with nature and its creatures.
 Sylvia, the child protagonist, has a very close connection to
nature and, in the end, realises her duty and protects it.
 "A White Heron" paints a strong contrast between Sylvia's
love for nature and the hunter's desire to tame it
 An Eco critical reading of the story portrays the conflict
between nature and urban life, visible in Sylvia's dilemma
in choosing whether to reveal the location of the white
heron to the hunter or to hide it and save the bird.
• The freedom of the white heron symbolises women's
liberation and provides an eco-feministic viewpoint.
Place - Expansive forest in Maine
Characters
• 9-year-old rural girl named Sylvia
• Cow-Mistress Moolly
• Grandmother- Mrs Tilley
• Hunter
• A white Heron
Question and answers
1. Who is the protagonist of the story and whom does
she live with?
Ans: The protagonist of the story is Sylvia and she
lives with grandmother Mrs. Tilly.
2. Where does Silvia stay? Why did she not like to
return to h home in town?
Ans: Sylvia stays on the farm. She did not like to
return to her home town because she was too timid
and scared of people in the city.
3. Why was the girl suddenly horror stricken in the
woods?
Ans: The girl was suddenly horror stricken in the
woods because she heard a youth's whistle close by
and it sounded determined and somewhat aggressive.
4. What help does the stranger ask Sylvia?
Ans: The stranger asks Sylvia to allow him to stay in
her farm for the night as he had lost his way in the
woods.
5. What did the hunter think of Sylvia's grandmother's
house when he entered there?
Ans: He was surprised to find so clean and
comfortable a dwelling in that New England
wilderness. It was like a hermitage. He had thought all
the dwellings in the villages are full of dreary squalor
as the villagers allowed even hens to roam about in
their dwellings.
6. Why was the stranger surprised when he came to
know that Sylvia knows all about birds?
Ans: The stranger was surprised when he came to
know that Sylvia knows all about birds because he
himself was making a collection of birds. He has been
at it ever since he was a boy.
7. What does the stranger do with the birds?
Ans: He stuffs and preserves them because he is an
ornithologist. He has dozens and dozens of them. He
himself had shot or snared them.
8. Who is an ornithologist?
Ans: An ornithologist is a person who scientifically
studies about bird.
9. What was the offer given by the stranger to
anybody who help him find the white heron's nest?
Ans: The stranger would give the person who helps
him find the white heron's nest $10.
10. Why did Sylvia climb the great pine?
Ans: Sylvia climbed the great pine to look for the nest
of the white heron
11. Why did Sylvia not speak about the nest of the
white heron to the stranger?
Ans: Sylvia did not speak about the nest of the white
heron to the stranger because she is more interested
in the bird's welfare than in the reward she would get.
For her the birds are better friends than their hunters.
12. What did Sylvia do at the end of the story?
Ans: She refuses to reveal to the young man where
the nest of the white heron is. Being a growing girl of
9, she had felt some thrill at the attention she got
from the young man. But she preferred to sacrifice
her possible friendship with him to saving the white
heron
13. Describe Sylvia's relationship with the cow.
Ans: Sylvia and the cow are like close friends. The cow
is named Mistress Moolly. They seem to have the
same kind of liking for being outdoors and to wander
enjoying outdoor pleasures, the sights and sounds of
nature. Mistress Moolly often wandered out of her
 usual pasture into the woods. Sylvia too liked to
wander in the forest looking at the trees, flowers and
fruits and listening to the songs of birds and the
twitters of insects and animals. She enjoyed the shoal
swimming together in the brook. She was happy to
see the sunset scene. The day when Sylvia met the
hunter she had looked for Mistress Moolly for long
and she was tired and impatient. But when finally, she
sees Moolly at the swamp- side she laughs.
14. Analyse the character of Sylvia in "A White
Heron".
Ans: Sylvia is the protagonist of the story. She is a 9-
year-old girl living on a farm near a Maine woodland
with her grandmother, Mrs. Tilley. Before coming to
the farm, Sylvia lived in a crowded city with her
mother and many siblings. She was not a courageous
girl and she was not comfortable with the strangers in
the city. She loves nature and in the farm she enjoys
the company of trees, animals and birds. She can be
excited, scared, or troubled easily. Then suddenly she
meets the hunter who wants to stay at her dwelling
for a night as he has lost his way in the woods. She is
kind-hearted and she takes him home. He asks her to
help him find the rare white heron so that he can
shoot and stuff it. She wants to help him because she
begins to admire him and enjoy his company, some
romantic feelings budding in her. Before it is dawn,
she climbs a huge pine tree and locates the heron's
nest. When she sees the bird she feels that it is also a
 creature that wants to live and enjoy its life like her.
She then refuses to reveal to the hunter where the
heron can be found, foregoing the reward of $10 and
her possible friendship with him. She sacrifices her
personal gains to protect the white heron.
15. What is the theme of the short story "A White
Heron"?
Ans: In the short story "A White Heron" by Sarah Orne
Jewett there are many themes. We can see here good
vs. evil, city vs. countryside, innocence vs. temptation,
man vs. nature and killing vs. nurturing. Sylvia
represents the innocence and the goodness in a
person. She had been living in the city, but she is not
happy there. She enjoys her life on the farm in the
company of trees, birds and animals. The good is
represented by her whereas the evil is represented by
the hunter, the ornithologist, who kills and stuffs
birds. Sylvia represents love and nurturing whereas
the hunter represents murder and destruction. The
hunter kills birds by hunting or snaring. He does that
mainly for fun and he calls himself an ornithologist.
Sylvia overcomes her temptation to collect the $10
she would get as a reward for disclosing the dwelling
place of the white heron. She teaches us to love
nature and not to harm any creatures in it. Just like
we have a right to live and enjoy, they too have a
right to live and enjoy as they are also creations of
God.
 The Fish
Elizabeth Bishop
About Poet

 She was an American poet and short-

story writer.

About Poem
 The Fish" is a first person narrative poem full of vivid
imagery and figurative language that first appeared in the
1946 collection of poetry North & South.
 "The Fish" is one of the best of Bishop's poems because it
contains lines of brilliant observation and keen insight.
 "The Fish' by Elizabeth Bishop'a poem that may look very
simple but it has many themes that the poet wants to
convey to the reader.
 The main themes in the poem are Nature, Humility,
Struggles for existence, Escapes and Choices.
 After catching this big, homely fish it is the choice of the
poet to free it and let it go back into the sea to continue
its living. There is a reason for this change of attitude in
the speaker.
 In this poem, a speaker catches a huge, astonishing fish
and becomes fascinated with its strangeness.
 The speaker sees some hooks in the fish's lip and realizes
that this fish has already escaped five other fishermen.
 The speaker then decides, in a burst of joy, to le the fish
go back into the sea.
 The poem celebrates the power and beauty of nature. It
also examines the ways in which an animal can at once
seem totally alien and deeply familiar.
Poem
I caught a tremendous fish
and held him beside the boat half out of
water, with my hook
fast in a corner of his mouth.
He didn’t fight.
He hadn’t fought at all.
He hung a grunting weight,
battered and venerable
and homely. Here and there
his brown skin hung in strips
like ancient wallpaper,
and its pattern of darker brown
was like wallpaper:
shapes like full-blown roses
stained and lost through age.

He was speckled with barnacles,

fine rosettes of lime,
and infested
with tiny white sea-lice,
and underneath two or three
rags of green weed hung down.
While his gills were breathing in
the terrible oxygen
—the frightening gills,
fresh and crisp with blood,
that can cut so badly—
I thought of the coarse white flesh
packed in like feathers,
the big bones and the little bones,
the dramatic reds and blacks of his shiny entrails,
and the pink swim-bladder
like a big peony.

I looked into his eyes

which were far larger than mine
but shallower, and yellowed,
the irises backed and packed
with tarnished tinfoil
seen through the lenses
of old scratched isinglass.
They shifted a little, but not
to return my stare.
—It was more like the tipping
of an object toward the light.
I admired his sullen face,
the mechanism of his jaw,
and then I saw
that from his lower lip
—if you could call it a lip—
grim, wet, and weaponlike,
hung five old pieces of fish-line,
or four and a wire leader
with the swivel still attached,
with all their five big hooks
grown firmly in his mouth.

A green line, frayed at the end

where he broke it, two heavier lines,
and a fine black thread
still crimped from the strain and snap
when it broke and he got away.
Like medals with their ribbons
frayed and wavering,
a five-haired beard of wisdom
trailing from his aching jaw.

I stared and stared

and victory filled up
the little rented boat,
from the pool of bilge
where oil had spread a rainbow
around the rusted engine
to the bailer rusted orange,
the sun-cracked thwarts,
the oarlocks on their strings,
the gunnels—until everything
was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!
And I let the fish go.

Poetic Devices
1. Personification- Attribution of a personal nature or human
characteristics to something non-human
Example: - He didn't fight
Here poet calls the fish as "he".
2. Simile- A figure of speech involving the comparison of one
thing with another thing.
Example: Like ancient wallpaper
3. Alliteration- The occurrence of the same letter or sound at
the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
Example: big bones
Tarnished tinfoil
4. Metaphor-Tarnished tinfoil
Figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way
that isn't literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a
comparison.
Example: - With tarnished tinfoil seen through the lenses
Like a big peony Like medals with their ribbons

Question Answers
1. How does the speaker hold the fish at the beginning of
the poem?
Ans: The speaker holds the fish beside the boat, half out of
water, with the hook stuck in a corner of the fish's mouth.
2. Explain: "He did not fight. He hadn't fought at all."
Ans: The fish did not try to escape or show any resistance. It
just hung on the line without any movement or struggle.
3. What is surprising about the fish?
Ans: The fish is battered, venerable and homely. This is quite
surprising.
4. How are the eyes of the fish different from the eyes of
the speaker?
Ans: The eyes of the fish were much larger than the
speaker's. They were shallower, and yellowed. The irises
were backed and packed with tarnished tinfoil.
5. Identify the figure of speech used in the phrase
"tarnished tinfoil".
Ans: Metaphor.
6. What does rainbow symbolise in the poem?
Ans: The rainbow is a spectrum of colours. It symbolizes the
speaker's joy in his decision to release the fish.
 Everything I need to know I learned from the Forest
Vandana Shiva

 Vandana Shiva (born 5 November

1952) is an Indian scholar,
environmental activist, food sovereignty
advocate, ecofeminist and anti-
globalization author.

About Essay
 The essay 'Everything I Need to Know I Learned in the
Forest' was originally published in the winter 2012 Issue
of Yes! Magazine.
 The last section of the essay is adapted from "Forest and
Freedom" written by Vandana Shiva and published in
the May/June 2011 edition of Resurgence Magazine.
 The current essay is taken from the winter 2013 Issue of
The Namta Journal.
 The essay traces the ecological journey of Vandana
Shiva, in fighting against the exploitation of nature.
 She learned about the value of nature from the
uneducated peasant women of Garhwal Himalaya.
 A lyrical storyteller, Vandana Shiva begins from the roots
of the Chipko movement in India.
Summary of Essay
 The ecological journey of Vandana Shiva started in the
forests of the Himalaya.
 Her father was a forest conservator.
 Her mother became a farmer after fleeing the tragic
partition of India.
 She then narrates the history of the Chipko movement.
 It was a non-violent response to the large-scale
deforestation that was taking place in the Himalayan
region in the 1970s.
 She describes that her involvement in the
contemporary ecology movement began with the
Chipko movement.

Chipko movement

 In the 1970s, The Chipko

movement was started by
Sunderlal Bahuguna in the
Garhwal forests.
 The movement was aimed
at stopping the felling of trees
for commercial purposes.
 The movement was non-
violent and the villagers hugged trees to stop them from
being felled.
 The Hindi word chipko means "to hug".
 The Chipko Movement was a contemporary ecology
movement, a nonviolent response to the large-scale
deforestation that was taking place in this Himalayan
region.
Why women
 Large scale cutting down of trees resulted in landslides
and floods, scarcity of water, and fuel.
 Women had become the victims because they were in
charge of fulfilling the daily requirements for cooking,
washing, and other household chores.
 They had to walk long distances for collecting water and
firewood which was a heavy burden.
 The women were aware that the forests were the real
source of springs and streams, food for their cattle, and
fuel for their stove.
 Therefore, the women decided to hug the trees, and the
loggers would have to kill them before killing trees.

 In 1973 Vandana went to the Himalayas to visit her

favourite forests and swim in her favourite stream to
see these spots before leaving for Canada to do her
Ph.D.
 But the forests had gone and the stream had become a
trickle. It was then she decided to become a volunteer
for the Chipko movement.
 She spent every vacation doing padayatra, documenting
the deforestation, the work of the forest activists, and
spreading the message of Chipko.
 Next we hear about the action in the Himalayan village
of Adwani in 1977.
 A village woman named Bachni Devi was the leader
there.
 She fought against her husband who had obtained a
contract to cut trees.
 When the logging officials arrived at the forest, the
women held up lighted lanterns even when it was broad
daylight.
 The logger mocked them saying that they were foolish
women and did not know the value of the forest.
 He added that the forests produced resin and timber
which would be very profitable.
The women sang back in chorus:
What do the forests bear?
Soil, water, and pure air.
Soil, water, and pure air
Sustain the Earth and all she bears
Beyond Monocultures:
 Vandana Shiva learned about biodiversity and living
economies based on it, from the Chipko movement.
 Biodiversity has many functions.
 Its destruction is the root cause of the impoverishment
of nature and culture.
 She used her knowledge to start a farm for
demonstration and training.
 This led to the establishment of Navdanya Farm.
  She says that now they conserve and grow 630 varieties
of rice, 150 varieties of wheat, and hundreds of other
species.
 They practise and promote a bio-diversity-intensive
form of farming that produces more food and nutrition
per acre.
 She observes that the conservation of biodiversity is,
therefore, the answer to the food and nutrition crisis in
our country.
 The Navdanya organization helps farmers make a
transition from fossil-fuel and chemical-based
monocultures to bio-diverse ecological systems
nourished by the sun and the soil.
 She says that bio-diversity has been her teacher of
abundance and freedom, of co-operation and mutual
giving.
The Rights of Nature on the Global Stage:
 She says that Ecuador has recognized the 'Rights of
Nature' in its Constitution and calls it a significant step.
 As a follow-up, the United Nations General Assembly
organized a conference on harmony with nature as part
of Earth Day celebrations in April 2011.
 She makes a reference to the report of the UN
Secretary-General titled 'Harmony with Nature', which
was issued in combination with the conference.
 The report highlighted the importance of reconnecting
with nature.
The Dead Earth Worldview:
 Vandana Shiva says our belief about the Earth in the
pre-industrial era was that that living beings were an
inseparable part of nature.
 But later man began to think that the Earth was a dead
matter and there was no connection between the Earth
and the other living creatures.
 She says that it was then the war against the Earth
began.
 She says that monocultures replaced diversity; raw
materials and dead matter replaced vibrant earth.
 The Earth came to be termed as Terra Nullius (empty
land).
 But the truth is that the Mother Earth (Terra Madre)
was home thousands of indigenous peoples (people of
different races, tribes, ethnicities) and also tens of
thousands of varieties of flora and fauna.
 Vandana Shiva says that the images of domination of
the Earth by scientific methods were created by Francis
Bacon. Later other leaders of the scientific revolution
replaced the idea that the Earth nurtures life/living
beings. They removed a cultural constraint on the
exploitation of nature. Until then, people did not dare
to "readily slay a mother, dig into her entrails for gold,
or mutilate her body" as observed by Carolyn
Merchant.
 It is to be inferred here that once Francis Bacon
popularized the idea that the Earth can serve as a
source of raw materials for scientific experiments, many
new scientific discoveries and inventions were made
What Nature teaches:

 Vandana Shiva tells us what we as humans must do. We

are facing many crises and so we need to move away
from the thought of nature as dead matter and move
towards an ecological idea. We need to go to nature
herself as nature is the best teacher.
 Vandana Shiva presents a model of the Earth University
which is located at 'Navdanya', a biodiversity farm. She
says that Earth University teaches Earth democracy.
 The concept of Earth Democracy symbolizes "freedom
for all species to evolve within the web of life".
 It also refers to the freedom and responsibilities of
humans as members of the Earth family, to recognize,
protect and respect the rights of all species.
 It also means that it is man's responsibility to preserve
these ecosystems. Since we all depend on the Earth for
our survival, Earth democracy gives every human being
right to food and water, to freedom from hunger and
thirst.
The poetry of the Forest:
 The writer highlights the work and how Rabindranath
Tagore was an inspiration to turn to nature and forest
in freedom.
  Tagore started a learning centre in Shanti Niketan in
West Bengal as a forest school which became a
university in 1921.
 In his essay "Tapovan" he mentions the importance of
nature and forest and how forest helps the society.
 To Tagore, the forest was a source of knowledge,
beauty, joy, art, aesthetics, harmony and perfection.
 The forest will show us the way beyond this conflict.

QUESTION AND ANSWERS

1. What were the themes of the songs and poems of our
mothers?
Ans: The themes of the songs and poems of our mothers
were the protection of trees and forests, and about India's
forest civilizations.
2. What was the real value of forests according to women of
Garhwal Himalaya?
Ans: According to women of Garhwal Himalaya the forests
bear soil, water and pure air. They sustain the Earth and all
she bears.
3. What were the changes that Shiva observed when she
revisited her favourite forests and stream in 1973?
Ans: When she revisited her favourite forests and stream in
1973, Vandana Shiva found that the forests had disappeared
and the stream had become a mere trickle.
4. Where did Vandana Shiva learn about ecology?
Ans: Vandana Shiva learned about ecology in the forests of
the Himalayas. Her father was a forest conservator and her
mother became a farmer after fleeing the tragic partition of
India.
5. What is eco-apartheid?
Ans: Apartheid means separatism. Eco-apartheid is the
illusion of separateness of humans from nature in our minds
and lives.
6. What does the Earth University teach us?
Ans: The Earth University teaches us Earth democracy. The
concept of Earth Democracy symbolizes freedom for all
species to evolve within the web of life. It also refers to the
freedom and responsibilities of humans as members of the
Earth family, to recognize, protect and respect the rights of
all species.
7. Name the two most popular courses taught at the Earth
University?
Ans: Two most popular courses taught at the Earth University
are "The A-Z of Organic Farming and Agro-ecology" and
"Gandhi and Globalization".
8. Where and when did the Navdanya farm start?
The Navdanya Farm started in 1994 in the Doon Valley,
located in the lower elevation Himalayan region of
Uttarakhand Province.
9. Why did Tagore start Shantiniketan as a forest school?
Tagore started Shantiniketan as a forest school to take
inspiration from nature and to create an Indian cultural
renaissance.
10. What power, according to Francis Bacon, does science
and technology have over nature?
According to Francis Bacon science and technology have the
power to conquer and subdue nature and to shake her to her
foundations.
11. What is Earth Democracy?
Earth Democracy is the freedom for all species to evolve
within the web of life and the freedom and responsibility of
humans, as members of the earth family, to recognise,
protect and respect the rights of other species.
12. Who are the participants of Earth University?
The participants of Earth University are farmers, school
children and people from across the world.
 FIRE
Nikita Gill
About Writer
Nikita Gill is an Irish-Indian poet,
playwright, writer and illustrator
based in south England.
 She has written and curated eight
volumes of poetry.

About Poem
 Fire" is a powerful feminist poem in bold language.
 It challenges the prejudices of gender roles and
expectations.
 Through 15-run-on lines and it has only 57 words in it,
she challenges the norms of patriarchy.
 The poem is an advice to women readers.
 The poem is an inspiration to all women vulnerable to
injustice, humiliation and exploitation.
 Nikita Gill asks women to react when patriarchy tries to
exploit their kindness as weakness and women.
 The images of dragon, wolf, monster and hell recreate
the fire inside every woman.
 It is poem of women empowerment.
 Poem
Remember what you must do
when they undervalue you,
when they think
your softness is your weakness,
when they treat your kindness
like it is their advantage.

You awaken
every dragon,
every wolf,
every monster
that sleeps inside you
and you remind them
what hell looks like
when it wears the skin
of a gentle human.
 Gill talks about autonomy in this poem.
 When people oppress you and have prejudices about you,
you have to rise above all that and prove who you are.
 There is nothing wrong with being you. You have to show
how capable you are.
 Let no prejudices undermine your value.
QUESTION AND ANSWERS
1. What does "your softness is your weakness" mean?
Ans: It means women are soft and the patriarchs think this
softness of the women as their weakness and they exploit
this softness of the women and take advantage of it by
trying to completely control them.
2. What is the tone of the poem?
Ans: The tone of the poem is anger. The poet is angry at
the patriarchs who exploit women and she asks the
women to bring out the dragon, wolf, and monster
sleeping in them.
3. What does the poet mean by "You remind them what
hell looks like when it wears the skin of a gentle human"?
Ans: The poet is asking the women to remind the
patriarchs that although they look very gentle outside,
inside them they are carrying a hell where there is a
dragon, wolf and monster. If the men step beyond their
limits, the women will unleash hell on them.
4. What does "every dragon, every wolf, every monster"
mean?
Ans: Dragons, wolves and monsters represent fierceness,
cruelty and murder. Inside every woman there is
fierceness, cruelty and murder and she can bring these out
if she is provoked and angry.
5. What is the main theme of the poem "Fire" by Nikita
Gill?
Ans: The main theme of the poem is women
empowerment. It shows the hidden strength of women.
They may wear a human skin but inside them there is hell
and they can unleash it any time they are provoked.
6. What is the message of the poem?
Ans: The poem "Fire" by Nikita Gill has a clear message. It
is a feminist poem with the theme of women
empowerment. It talks about the freedom of women.
Everywhere in the world women suffer discrimination.
They are branded the weaker sex and the patriarchs try to
dominate them in all aspects of their lives. Women are
often relegated to the role of housewives who have to
simply bear and look after the children, take care of the
needs of the husband and do all sorts household chores. In
the poen Gill talks about the autonomy of women. If the
patriarchs oppress the women, and have prejudices about
them, they have to rise above all that and prove to them
who they really are. They have to show the male
chauvinists that they also have fire inside and they will not
tolerate the patriarchs if they dare to step beyond certain
limits.
 Accept Me
Living Smile Vidya
About writer
• Living Smile Vidya also known as Smiley is an inspirational
Indian Trans woman writer, activist, theatre artist and film
director.
• She was born on 25 March 1982 as a boy to Ram swami and
Veeramma in a Dalit family in Chennai.
• Her parents named her "Saravana" before she took the
name Vidya.
• After finishing her post-graduation she went to Pune for a
gender- reassignment surgery to become a trans woman.
• She was the first transgender to work in a mainstream job
profile in India. She currently works for a voluntary
organisation engaged in serving the destitute in Chennai.
• Her autobiography I am Vidya (2008) was originally written
in Tamil and translated into seven languages.
• "Accept Me" is a chapter from Living Smile Vidya's
autobiography I am Vidya, the first transgender
autobiography from India.
Introduction
• Accept Me" is a chapter from her autobiography "I am
Vidya".
• It explains the traumatic experiences and strenuous
journey of Vidya in search of her identity.
• Trangenders are marginalised, discriminated and
humiliated by the society.
• Vidya is confused and stressed when she leaves her original
name and family to become a "Tirunangai".
• 'Tirunangai" was a word coined by M. Karunanidhi to
denote transgenders.
Summary of the story
 Kalaichelvi Ayah took me to Pune by train. According to
the tradition of the tirunangais, she was my nani or
maternal grandmother.
 Shanti, another Amma, also came with us. They spent
their time playing cards and bossing over me. They gave
me many things to do.
 Older tirunangais expect much respect from the younger
ones. They don't like the young ones sitting with them.
Respecting elders is an Indian tradition. But these
tirunangais expect much more. They expect the younger
ones even to clean their spittoons and massage their
legs. the younger ones.
 My amma in the tirunangai world was Arunamma. She
ran an NGO and was in contact with the outside world.
 Many Tirnangais lived in Choolaimedu
 Once you settle down with a group of tirunangais, the
harassment stops. When a newcomer comes, attention
goes to her.
 Another person who travelled with us to Pune was
Priya. We were of the same age and I liked her. We
were of the same height. She had white complexion and
a sweet smile.
 Kalaichelvi Amma went on telling me how to behave
when we reached our destination. She told me to fall at
the nani's feet and seek her blessings, when we enter.
 Nani was sitting in an inner room. As told, I fell at her
feet and sought her blessings. Nani was dark and
overweight. She relaxed in a big cot. The room had a TV.
The walls were full of pictures of gods and goddesses.
 There were the pictures of "Mata", Ganesha and Laxmi.
Nani then spoke to me. She said I could sing and dance,
but I should respect elders, and get on well with
younger people.
 I should go back to her if I needed anything. I should go
out with Satya and shop. Satya had joined the place
before me. "Shop" in their slang meant seeking alms
from the shops. I should bring at least Rs. 300 each day.
 When she asked me for my name I said "Preeti".
 She asked me to change my name because there was
someone named Preeti and she died young. So the
name was considered a bad omen at my new home. The
name Deivanai was suggested by Chitramma, but I did
not like it.
 Sathya said Vidya is a good name as it rhymes with
Satya.
 I accepted the name. It was short, sweet, beautiful and
meaningful.
 Only Shilpa was at the breakfast table. She was tall and
fair. She looked like Shilpa Shetty, the Bollywood
actress. She was the highest earner in the house. Shilpa
introduced me to Lakshmiammal.
 Although somewhat old, she wore a T-shirt and tight
jeans which did not suit her. Nandiniammal was a dark
beauty, dressed in a bright sari. She asked me if I
wanted some tea.
 Another person was Parimalammal. She was about 30,
and of medium build.
 The other two inmates were Chitramma and Seetamma.
They were very similar, and short tempered.
 Doing the 'reet' meant formally enrolling in the
community of tirunangais. You paid a small sum and
then you were enrolled in the parivar/parampara list. A
parivar is a family a group. There are 7 parivars in
Chennai. Each parivar has a name. All the tirunangais in
Mumbai come under one of these 7 groups. I was
registered in the Bhendi Parivar. If someone wants to
change the group, she has to pay a fine.
 There is a whole hierarchy of amma, nani and dadi -
mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Usually a
new person chooses her amma and becomes her chela
or disciple. A senior chela is an elder sister. After my
registration, a veteran tairunangai gifted me a sari. The
 life of a tirunangai is bound by thousands of unwritten
rules and regulations.
 It is now three months since I left home. I had not yet
written to my family. I could not call them as they had
no phone. They must have been worried about me as I
did not tell where I was going. About one month after I
moved to Pune, the great tsunami tragedy had struck
Chennai.
 Appa, Radha and my Chiti started looking for me. I had
long ago given Radha the phone number of Ramaswami.
 After some hesitation, he told my family the truth about
me - that I was a tirunangai and that is why I had fled
home.
 I know my family must have suffered a lot because of
my actions. After the initial shock, they made enquiries
and came to know I was in Pune.
 I left Pune in great turmoil, preparing to meet my family
at Arunamma's NGO. Arunamma invited my family two
days after my arrival there. Two tirunangai sisters were
with me, Viji and Bhumika.
 I wore a beautiful black sari with a broad silver border.
When I saw Radha at the entrance to the station, my
heart nearly stopped and tears filled my eyes. I called
Radha, and she called me Saravana.
 I was hearing that name after such a long time. Why did
my sister call me that even when she saw me in a sari? I
told her I am Vidya now.
 Mama and Sekhar Chittapa joined us.
 Appa was not there. I asked Radha where Appa was. She
said he was waiting for me to call him.
 Meeting Radha and Mama was not a big problem but
meeting Appa was.
 He was certain to break down to pieces. I had destroyed
his dreams, his dignity and his pride. How would I face
him? I went to him where he was. He then said, "I don't
want to see him. Ask him to get away from me." His last
glimmer of hope must have vanished when he saw me
in a sari.
 He was crying and Radha too cried. Sekhar Chitappa
tried to console Appa as he helped him into an auto.
Radha was the first to recover from the shock. Even
during college years, I used to tell her that one day I
would shock her. She accepted my change thinking that
I was happy with it.
 Mama was often sharp with my femininity during my
childhood. She would be angry with me when I started
dancing when I heard singers like Chitra were singing on
the radio or TV, I enjoyed songs full of the longing, pain,
desire and passion of women. S
 he was not happy that I loved such songs. During the
ride, Radha went on telling me how each of the family
members was shocked and reacted at hearing the
change in me. When I started crying she asked me why I
did that to them. Appa refused to see me in a sari. I also
insisted I won't wear men's clothes. Finally I wore a shirt
as per the advice of Radha and Arunamma. Only then
Appa agreed to speak with me. All of us tried to explain
 my position to Appa. He was totally unwilling to listen,
weeping throughout. He then folded his arms and
pleaded with Arunamma to release his son. I tried to
speak calmly with Appa. I asked him if he would not
accept me if I were physically maimed.
 Why doesn't he treat my predicament similarly?
Arunamma also spoke with him. She told him that times
have changed. Even science accepts us as we are.
 We can do what normal men and women can and so he
should change. I told him I will prove myself as an
actress.
 These words made Appa more angry and Mama was
about to hit me. Long discussions brought no solution.
As it was late in the night, Sekhar Chitappa and Mama
took Appa away. Although I was able to explain my
position to everyone else, before my Appa I was like a
criminal. I will always carry the guilt of breaking his
hopes and aspirations.
 Am I really responsible for his pain? My worries are
mine and his tragedy is his. The matter ended without
any conclusion.
 My only consolation was that my family now knew the
truth.
1.Vidya writer and her old name was
preeti (Saravanan)

2.Kalaichelvi Took her to pune by train

according to the tradition of
the tirunangais, she was her
nani or maternal
grandmother.
3.Shanti Another Amma

4. Arunamma Her amma in the world of

tirunangais

5.Priya The girl who was with her in

train
6. Naani Nani was dark complexioned
and a little overweight. She
looked relaxed and natural
and not fearsome as I had
anticipated
7.Shilpa She resembled the actress
Shilpa Shetty, and she was
the highest young earner of
the house. Tall and fair

8.Lakshmiammal One among the older

members of the household,
she wore a T-shirt and tight
jeans like a young girl, which
did not suit her at all
9. Nandiniammal
10. Parimalammal
She was a dark beauty,
smartly dressed in a bright
saree
Looked about 30 even she
was closer to 40 Her sister

11.Satya – Her sister

12.Chithramma Two other tirunangais in the
house. They were amazingly
similar people. Both short
tempered.
13. Seethamma “
14,15 .Viji and bhoomika Two sisters from tirunangais

Vidya's Family
Appa
Amma
Sister- Radha
Distant relative Sekhar chittappa

QUESTION AND ANSWERS

1. Who is Kalaichelvi Ayah?
Ans: Kalaichelvi Ayah is the person who took Vidya, who was
Saravanan earlier, to Pune by train. According to the
traditionof the tirunangais, she was the nani or maternal
grandmother of Vidya.
2. What are the etiquettes expected by the older
tirunangais fromthe younger ones?
Ans: The older tirunangais expect much respect from the
younger ones. They don't like the young ones sitting with
them. They expect the younger ones even to clean their
spittoons and massage their legs.
3. Who is Arunamma?
Ans: Arunamma was Vidya's amma in the tirunangai world.
She ran an NGO and was in contact with the outside world.
4.How is the harassment of tirunangais different from the
ragging of college students?
Ans: The harassment of tirunangais is different from the
ragging of college students as once you settle down with a
group of tirunangais, the harassment stops. When a
newcomer comes, attention goes to her. The transgenders
are marginalised by society and so they find some pleasure in
taunting others.
5. What was the advice given by Kalaichelvi Ayah to Vidya
on their way to the city post in an auto-rickshaw?
Ans: Kalaichelvi Ayah advised Vidya no to go wandering
around and to follow her closely. As soon as she enters the
City Post, she should fall at Nani's feet and receive her
blessings.
6.Why did Ayah ask Vidya to change her name?
Ans: Vidya wanted her name to be Preeti. But when Ayah
heard it, she said there had been a Preeti before with her.
She died young and so the name Preeti was considered a bad
omen at her new home. So she accepted the name Vidya.
7. Why did Satya propose the name Vidya?
Ans: Vidya proposed the name Vidya because it rhymes with
her name Satya and they were now sisters.
8. What is a reet?
Ans: A reet is a ritual of formally enrolling in the community
of tirunangais. One paid a small sum and then she was
enrolled in the parivar/parampara list.
9. Why did Vidya get disturbed when Radha called her
Saravana?
Ans: Vidya got disturbed when Radha called her Saravane
because nobody had called her by that name for long and
right now she was wearing a sari and she did not expect to be
called by her old e name.
10.Why was Vidya anxious to meet her father?
Ans: Vidya was anxious to meet her father because she was
worried and upset thinking how her father would react to see
her in a sari with her new name Vidya, a tirunangai.
11. What was the only consolation felt by Vidya at the end?
Ans: The only consolation felt by Vidya at the end was that
her family now knew the truth about her that she is a
tirunangai and not the old Saravanan.
 Dear Ijeawele
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
About Writer
 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian
writer and public speaker who is regarded as
a central figure in postcolonial feminist
literature.
 She is the author of the award-winning
novels Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun
and Americanah.
About Chapter
 Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen
Suggestions is in a letter form manifesto written by
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie "Dear
ljeawele" was posted on her official Facebook page on
October 12, 2016.
 It was then made into a book. Before becoming a book,
"Dear Ijeawele" was a personal e-mail written by Adichie
in response to her friend, "ljeawele", who had asked
 Adichie's advice on how to raise her newborn daughter
Chizalum Idaore as a feminist.
 Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi's book Dear ljeawele, or a
Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, sums up how
to go about fulfilling the task of raising a feminist child.
 She is writing this letter to her friend whose daughter's
name is Chizalum Adaora.
 She begins the book by explaining how a few years ago
ljeawele, a good friend of hers asked her how to raise
her baby girl as a feminist.

Summary of the letter

 She is writing this letter to her friend whose
daughter's name is Chizalum Adaora.
 Dear ljeawele, I am happy to know that the name
of your child is Chizalum Adaora. It is a lovely
name. She is only a week old, but she looks as if
she is already curious about the world.
 Ijeawele, I congratulate you for bringing a new
human being into this world. Your letter made me
cry.
 You have asked me how to raise your child as a
feminist.
 You said you did not know the feminist response
to some situations. I think feminism is always
contextual.

Two Feminist Tools.

 I will share them with you.
 The first tool is your promise "I matter. The first is
your premise, the solid unbending belief that you
start off with. What is your premise? Your feminist
 premise should be: I matter.I matter equally. Not if
only'. Not as long as'. I matter equally. Full stop.
 2nd tool is a question: Can you reverse X and get
the same results? For example: Many people
believe that a woman's feminist response to a
man's infidelity should be to leave. But I think
staying can also be a feminist choice, depending
on the context.
 If Chudi sleeps with another woman and you
forgive him, would the same be true if you slept
with another man? If the answer is yes, then your
choice to forgive him is a feminist choice because
it is not shaped by a gender inequality.
 I have some suggestions to raise Chizalum.

Suggestion 1: "Be a full person":

 Motherhood is a glorious gift, but do not define
yourself solely by motherhood. Be a full person.
Your child will benefit from that.
 The pioneering American journalist Marlene
Sanders, who was the first woman to report from
Vietnam during The war (and who was the mother
of a son), once gave this piece of advice to a
younger journalist Never apologize for working.
You love what you do, and loving what you do is
a great gift to give your child.
 The advantages that work can bring for mothers
are manifold, including increased confidence, a
sense of fulfilment, and financial independence.
Moreover, contrary to what some proponents of
traditional gender roles say, working does not
compromise a woman's ability as a mother.
 My mother and your mother worked. Still the
children grew up well.
 It doesn't surprise me that your sister-in-law says
you should be a 'traditional'.
• Everybody will have an opinion about what you
should do, but what matters is what you want for
yourself, and not what others want you to want.
• In these coming weeks of early motherhood, be
kind to yourself. Ask for help. Expect to be helped.
• There is no such thing as a Superwoman.
Parenting is about practice- and love.
• Don't assume that you should know everything.
Read books, look things up on the Internet, ask
older parents, or just use trial and error.
 But above all, let your focus be on remaining a full
person. Take time for yourself. Nurture your own
needs.
 Please do not think of it as 'doing it all'.
 Suggestion 2: "Do it together" This suggestion
addresses the division of labour between parents.
In school we learnt that a verb is a doing word'.
Father is as much a verb as mother.
 Adichie advises fathers to share the domestic work
and child-raising responsibilities equally.
 This suggestion follows directly from the first
because when fathers get more involved in
parenting, mothers have greater freedom to
pursue other activities.
 Additionally, it is also good for daughters to see
male role models engaging in activities, such as
cooking, cleaning, and nurturing.
 Men and women are equally capable of learning
and performing new skills, including all of those
required in child-rearing.
 So, there is nothing in the nature of men that
stops them from helping out with parenting.
 Adichie says that some mothers think their
husbands will not wash and dry the private parts
of the female children properly.
 She says there is nothing to worry about that. The
children won't die if their private parts remain wet
for some time.
 She makes only one exception - breastfeeding,
which can be done only by mothers. Mothers
 should not be too critical of the fathers when they
handle children.
 Adichie says it is important to reject the language
of 'help'.
 In other words, you should never refer to the
father as a "helper" or "babysitter" because this
only reinforces the idea that the mother is the
primary person to care for the baby.
 When the father looks after his child, he's just
doing his job as a father, and so he shouldn't be
given any special praise.
 Suggestion 3: "Teach her that the idea of 'gender
roles' is absolute nonsense": Never tell you
daughter she should or should not do something
because she is a girl.
 Adichei remembers being told as a child to bend
down properly while sweeping like a girl.
 It means sweeping is only for girls. We're often
told that the reason men and women behave as
they do because of their gender: Men are active,
rational, and industrious because they're men;
Women are passive, emotional, and caring
because they're women.
 We are told that our gender dictates how we will
perform certain tasks or react in certain situations.
 Our gender defines who we are and limits what
we're capable of doing as individuals.
 There have been recent debates on the Nigerian
media about women and cooking.
 It is as if cooking is a part of the marriageability
test for women. Almost from the moment babies
are born, society begins to condition boys and girls
differently.
 We dress them differently, talk to them
differently, handle them differently, and choose
different toys for them to play with. Boys are
usually given active toys to play with, such as cars,
trains and guns whereas girls are often given dolls.
The author relates how she once saw a mother
refusing to buy her daughter a toy helicopter on
the grounds that she already had dolls to play
with.
 Children's clothes and toys do not need to be
categorized by gender. They could be categorized
by size, age, or type.
 The fact that society categorizes products by
gender is a choice, and it is one that Adichie argues
has harmful outcomes, especially for girls. It is
harmful because it squeezes children into
predefined moulds.
  Instead of being allowed to discover for
themselves what they like and find interesting,
children are told what they ought to like and find
interesting.
 This curtails their curiosity and sets limits to their
field of exploration, which may hinder their
development. So, instead, Adichie asks parents to
treat their daughters as individuals first and "girls"
second.
 As she says, 'because you are a girl' should never
be a reason for anything. So, let her play with
whatever she wants to play with, pursue whatever
she wants to pursue.
 Teach her to be active and independent. Let her
try things and allow her to satisfy her curiosity.
Question Answers
1. Who is Chizalum Adaora?
Chizalum Adaora is the new-born daughter of
ljeawele, who is a friend of Adichie.
2. What was the purpose of writing "Dear ljeawele"
The purpose of writing "Dear ljeawele" was to tell
ljeawele how to raise her new born daughter as a
feminist. Adichie gives ljeawele 15 suggestions for
that.
3. What are the two feminist tools discussed in the
chapter "Dear ljeawele"?
The two feminist tools discussed in the chapter
"Dear ljeawele" are the promise "I matter. I matter
equally" without any condition added to it. The
2nd tool is a question: Can you reverse X and get
the same results?
4. What was the advice given by Marlane Sanders to
the younger journalist?
The advice given by Marlane Sanders to the
younger journalist was "Never apologize for
working. You love what you do, and loving - what
you do is a great gift to give your child."
5. What does your job do for you?
Your job increases your confidence, gives you a
sense of fulfilment, and makes you financially
independent.
6. Why does the narrator advise mothers to reject
the 'language of help'?
The narrator advises mothers to reject the
'language of help because if you refer to the father
as a "helper" or "babysitter" it will reinforce the
idea that the mother is the primary person to care
for the baby. When the father looks after his child,
he's just doing his job as a father, and so he does
not deserve any special praise.
7. Why does the author recommend not to say
Chudy is babysitting?
Chudi is the husband of ljeawele and the father of
Chizalum Adaore. When the father looks after his
child, he's just doing his job as a father and so he
does not deserve any gratitude or praise. So there
is no need to say that Chudy is babysitting.
8. Why does the narrator think that 'gender-neutral'
is silly?
The narrator thinks that 'gender-neutral' is silly
because it is premised on the idea of male being
blue and female being pink and 'gender-neutral'
being its own category. It is silly to associate a
colour with a particular gender.
9. How are the toys for boys and girls arranged in a
toy section of the shop?
Toys for boys are mostly active, and involve some
kind of doing - trains, cars. Toys for girls are mostly
passive and are mainly dolls.
10. Why is it important to make sure that Chizalum
rejects gender roles from the beginning?
Gender roles are so deeply conditioned in us that
we will often follow them even when they are
againt our true desires, our needs and our
happiness. They are very difficult to unlearn. That
is why is it important to make sure that Chizalum
rejects gender roles from the beginning.
 Entre Vous To Adulthood
Malini Chib
About Writer
 Malini Chib is an Indian disability
rights activist and author who has
cerebral palsy.

About Chapter
 "One Little Finger" tells the story of a woman who
overcame her severe physical disability and society's
indifference to achieve victory
 It is the story of Malini Chib's search for independence and
identity.
 It shows her zeal to live a full, meaningful life in spite of
her disability.
 In this inspirational autobiography, Malini recounts her
experiences from childhood and adulthood - her struggles
as a child, her challenges as a youth, and her achievements
and joy as an adult.
 "Entre-vous to Adulthood" is a chapter from her
autobiography "One Little Finger".
 It discusses the narrator's visit to the University Town of
Berkeley and how much Berkeley inspired her.
 Summary

 After my degree I went to the USA for a short visit in 1988.

 It was a big learning experience for me. One of the places I
visited was Berkeley.

 When I went to the University Town of Berkeley I was

surprised to find so many electric wheelchairs.
 There, wheelchairs have the right of way. Traffic stopped
to let them cross the road. All the pavements were ramped
and the curbs rounded, making the place very disabled
friendly.
 Every place was accessible - library, museum, restaurant,
shop, school, public toilet or theatre.
 The campus is on a hill and it is advisable for a disabled
person to have an electric wheel chair.
 Besides mobility it gives a sense of freedom.
 In India, most buildings are totally inaccessible to
wheelchairs. I had often found it hard to enter even five
star hotels, art galleries or parks in India.
 In Berkeley, there were several organizations dealing with
disabled students and fighting for the rights of the
disabled.
 We visited the Centre for Independent Living. There, they
train the disabled people how to manage their lives.
 The attendants there helped the disabled with daily living
functions. What I found amazing was the disabled people
themselves were in-charge and in positions of power.
 They hired and fired their personal helpers, called
attendants.
 I saw more disabled people than me leading disability
organizations.
 In Berkeley disabled people prefer to hire outsiders and
not their own family members and friends to help them as
it avoids emotional attachment.
 Disabled people in Berkeley argue that all people are
interdependent. Even a normal person would need a
carpenter, a plumber or an electrician. Similarly a disabled
person also takes help from others.
 An attendant helps a disabled person, who tells the
attendant how he should be helped. This interdependence
is necessary if the disabled persons are to contribute
something positive to the society.
 A disabled person is not a 2nd class citizen. The idea
appealed to me much.
 Society thinks that the disabled persons are very
dependent and helpless. Disabled persons are human
beings first. But many people see their disability first.
 Over the years I have learned that a disabled person must
depend on many people for him/her to lead a normal life.
 It was after my first trip to Berkeley that we decided to get
an attendant.
 Mother was in Calcutta at that time. She interviewed a
Nepalese woman who spoke English. Maya was pleasant,
in her mid- 40s.
 She helped me with my daily living needs. I was 22;
 I could no longer be dependent on mother for my physical
care.
 Maya proved to be a new addition to my new life. I had
never seen so many disabled adults in my life, each leading
an independent life.
 In Bombay where I grew up I hardly saw a disabled adult.
So I grew up thinking that I would be normal once I was an
adult.
 When my mother asked me when I would be independent,
I told her when I grow up. She then reminded me that I
was already 21. When I reflect on the past, I realise that my
growing up started when I left home and went to Oxford.
 It was after our trip to Berkeley. We had stopped at
London, prior to our return to Bombay. One day dad asked
me if we should go to Oxford Polytechnic.
 We got an appointment with the Dean there and we went
there.
 The polytechnics of Britain offer a technical training that
the universities don't offer. Only recently the polytechnics
were recognised as universities.
 Oxford Polytechnic had a good course on Publishing. I
applied. The interview was like an informal chat.
 I decided to set up an international recreational club
called ADAPT (Able Disabled All People Together).
 It would help the able and the disabled to meet and
interact.
 My friend Zubin and I thought the name was fine.
 ADAPT met every two weeks as a social forum. Once Zubin
told me he would like to go to England to study Chaucer.
 I asked him to apply for a scholarship from Oxford. He
thought it was not easy. But I encouraged him to make a
try.
 He applied and got an interview. My uncle Mesho was on
the board of the Inlaks Scholarship. Zubin was a brilliant
person and he got the scholarship. I was happy and sad,
sad because my best friend would go away from Bombay.
He left for Oxford.
 Then one morning I got a letter from Oxford Polytechnic
giving me admission for the publishing course.
 I was very happy. Mother then told me that I should get a
scholarship, otherwise I won't be able to go.
 Mother always tried to make me see reality. I hoped to get
the money to go. I was slowly entering my adulthood.
 I was not sure if I wanted to go to Oxford for studies or to
meet Zubin there.
Questions and Answers
1. Why was the narrator pleasantly surprised at the
University of Berkeley?
Ans: The narrator pleasantly surprised at the University of
Berkeley because she found so many electric wheelchairs
there. There, wheelchairs have the right of way. Traffic
stopped to let them cross the road.
2. Why is it advisable for a disabled person to have electric
wheelchair at the University in Berkeley?
Ans: The campus is on a hill and so it is advisable for a
disabled person to have an electric wheel chair. Besides
mobility, it gives the disabled person a sense of freedom.
3. What are the difficulties faced by a person who cannot
walk in India?
Ans: In India, most buildings are totally inaccessible to
wheelchairs. It is very hard to enter even five star hotels, art
galleries or parks in India because there are no ramps for
wheelchairs.
4. Why did the disabled people in Berkeley argue that
nobody is completely independent?
Ans: The disabled people in Berkeley argued that nobody is
completely independent because even normal people would
need a carpenter, a plumber or an electrician. Similarly, a
disabled person also takes help from others.
5. What are society's stereotypical concepts about disabled
people?
Ans: Society thinks that the disabled persons are very
dependent and helpless. Disabled persons are human beings
first, but many people see their disability first.
6. Who is Maya?
Ans: Maya is a nearly 45-year old Nepalese woman who was
hired as an attendant to Mailini Chib.
7. What is ADAPT?
Ans: It is the name of an international recreational club set
up by Malini Chib. ADAPT is the acronym for Able Disabled All
People Together. It would help the able and the disabled to
meet and interact.
8. In which subject did Malini Chib get admission at the
Oxford Polytechnic?
Ans: She got admission for the publishing course at the
Oxford Polytechnic.
9. Why is the University town of Berkeley recognised as a
disabled-friendly place?
Ans: The University town of Berkeley is recognised as a
disabled-friendly place because of many reasons. The writer
found so many electric wheelchairs in the University town.
There, wheelchairs have the right of way. Traffic stopped to
let them cross the road. All the pavements were ramped and
the curbs rounded, making the place very disabled friendly.
Every place was accessible library, museum, restaurant, ship,
school, public toilet or theatre. In India, most buildings are
totally inaccessible to wheelchairs. The writer in had often
found it hard to enter even five star hotels, art gallenes er or
parks in India. If there was a ramp, they would be accessible.
In Berkeley, there were several organizations dealing with
disabled ST students and fighting for the rights of the
disabled. In the town there is the Centre for Independent
Living. There, they train the So disabled people how to
manage their lives. The attendants there help the disabled
with daily living functions. The disabled felt a comfortable in
such a place.
 The Body Politics
Hiromi Goto
About Poet
 Hiromi Goto is a queer
Japanese Canadian writer, editor,
and facilitator of creative writing
workshops.

About Poem
 The Body Politic is a poem that shows the struggle of a
racially discriminated immigrant.
 Goto here presents her own identity crisis she faces as an
immigrant.
 People like her are banded 'the other' She writes about
the struggles of Asians who are minorities and
discriminated against because of their colour, race and
distinctive appearance.
 The poem "The Body Politic" highlights how the politics
of normalcy and otherness is shaped around the body.
 Goto includes images, signs, symbols, Japanese character
and a photograph of herself into the poem to talk of her
racialized self that cannot be conveyed through words
arranged in the normal way.
Poem
Questions and Answers
1. What is "That which you carry with you all times
and/cannot be removed like a costume or eaten like a five-
course dinner?
Ans: It is one's racial characteristics - one's appearance,
colour, etc.
2. Why does she say my vision is oblique?
Ans: Hiromi Goto is a Japanese-Canadian writer, who was
born in Japan to Japanese parents. The Japanese eyes are
round or oval-shaped and slant upwards. That is why she says
her vision is oblique.
3. Who is a coloured person?
Ans: Here, in the poem, a coloured person is one who is not a
white He/She is a non-European. In South Africa, a coloured
person means a person to bom to parents of different races,
the race being Black, White and Indian.
4. What is 'Ke-mo-nees"?
Ans: This is the mispronunciation of Japanese robe kimono.
Kimono is a traditional Japanese garment and the national
dress of Japan. When the English-speaking people say it they
mispronounce it as "ke-mo-nee". Ke- mo-nees is the plural
form.
5. "I dress with culture/every single morning." Explain.
Ans: Hiromi Goto is a Japanese-Canadian poet. She was born
in Chiba'ken, Japan in 1966 and immigrated to Canada with
her family in 1969. As her parents are Japanese, she also has
all the traits of the Japanese people their colour and their
slanting eyes. The Body Politic is a poem that shows the
struggle of a racially discriminated immigrant. Goto here
presents her own identity crisis she faces as an immigrant.
People like her are banded 'the other. She writes about the
struggles of Asians who are minorities and discriminated
against because of their colour, race and distinctive
appearance. The poem "The Body Politic highlights how the
politics of normalcy and otherness is shaped around the
body.
 Love lines oin the Times of Chathurvarna
Chandra Bhan Prasad
About Writer
 He is an Activist and political
commentator.
 He has been writing a weekly column
"Dalit Dairy" in "The Pioneer" since 1999.
 He works hard for the Dalit Community.

About Title
In Sanskrit, chathurvarna means the 'State of Four Varnas.
' Brahmin, "Kshatriya",Vessa (Vaishya) and Sudda (Shudra).
About Article
 "Love -lines in the Times of Chaturvarna" is the article that
appeared in his column on 14 May 2000.
 It discusses caste discrimination, inequality and honour killings.
 Caste is the basis of marriage and anyone who dares to break it
faces violence and even death.
 Even after so many years of independence, India is still
following the chaturvarna system and caste discrimination.
Article Summary
About Meera Bai
 Meera Bai was a 16th century Hindu mystic poet and a devotee
of Krishna.
 She was born into a Rajput Royal family in Kudki, Rajasthan.She
was poisoned twice.
 First, by her in-laws who were angry that a rajput woman had
the courage to join lower class people and sing bhajans in
public.
 The second poisoning was for a different reason. She was
inspired by the genius of the great dalit saint, Ravidas, and
declared him as her guru.
 Her affection was purely intellectual and spiritual but it was
disliked by the rajput clan.
 She lived during the 15th-16th centuries. By that time Europe
had entered the era of Enlightenment.

About Hardoi
 Now 500 years after, when people make love in cyberspace how
do we explain the painful story of Hardoi, near Lucknow, where
so many internet cafes are in operation?
 A dalit boy from Hardoi(city) and a rajput girl fell in love,
thinking "love is blind".
 They wanted to build a new world. But the society was watching
them.
 The powerful rajput community killed the boy and three of his
family members.
 This is not first time that a dalit tried to redefine love and
suffered for it.

About dalit boy and jat girl

 In 1992 in Mathura district, a dalit boy and jat girl entered into a
similar relationship.
 The jat panchayat delivered a verdict against them and they
were hanged.

Manu-dharma sastra shows the secrets of the chaturvarna

order.
 According to the varna laws, occupation and marriage are the
two foundations on which the social order stands. Nobody is
allowed to marry outside his/her varna or caste and no one can
change the occupation. Any defiance of these laws will bring
severe punishments, including death. Even after the enactment
of the Indian Penal Code the society religiously follows these old
codes in some hidden ways.

 The district administration described the Hardoi murder was the

result of a dispute between two families. On the face of it, this
explanation seems convincing as the boy and the girl belonged
to two different families. But it is also a fact they belonged to
two different family communities. There would have been no
murder if the boy and the girl had belonged to the same
community. Love has its limitations.

 Any defiance of the Manu-dharma sastra attracts penalties.

Some people may say that is a countryside phenomenon and
 the urban, enlightened people have moved away from such old
laws. Such opinions made me look into some cases I personally
know. I made a list of two dozen friends, who, after prolonged
experimentation with love, had decided to be life partners.
Most of them are critics of chaturvarna order. So I had to do
things in secrecy. The results were surprising.

 I wonder why most of my brahmin friends happen to fall in love

with only brahmin girls and vice versa. Most of my kayastha
(Kayasthas perform the duties of Brahmins and Kshatriyas)
friends fell in love with kayasthas. The same was the case with
my friends from other communities. Some took a brave step of
loving and marrying outside their religions, but a close scrutiny
shows that while they broke the religious barriers, they
singularly failed to break the vana/caste barriers.

 That means lovers have a love-line, below which neither love

nor marriage can take place. What a society is this! Here love
has been redefined to the narrowest compass and people
perpetuate it and willingly subject themselves to social censure.

1. Who is Meer Bai?

Ans: She was a 16th century Hindu mystic poet and a devotee of
Krishna. She was born into a Rajput Royal family in Kudki, Rajasthan.
2. What happened to the dalit boy and rajput girl in Hardoi?
Ans: The dalit boy and rajput girl in Hardoi had fallen in love and they
decided to be husband and wife. But since they belonged to different
varnas, the powerful rajput community killed the boy and three of
his family members making the girl a widow.
3. What happened in 1992 in Mathura district?
Ans: In 1992 in Mathura district, a dalit boy and jat girl entered into a
marital relationship. The jat panchayat delivered a verdict against
them and they were hanged.
4. According to Chandra Bhan Prasad, what would unfold the
secrets of Chaturvarna order?
Ans: A cursory reading of the Manu-dharma sastra would unfold the
secrets of Chaturvarna order. According to the varna laws,
occupation and marriage are the two foundations on which the
social order stands.
5. What does the district administration describe about the Hardoi
murders?
Ans: The district administration described the Hardoi murder was the
result of a dispute between two families. On the face of it, this
explanation seems convincing as the boy and the girl belonged to
two different families. But it is also a fact they belonged to two
different communities.
6. What is the love-line Chandra Bhan Prasad discusses in his
article?
Ans: Chandra Bhan Prasad says that lovers have a love-line, below
which neither love nor marriage can take place. Here love has been
redefined to the narrowest compass and people perpetuate it and
willingly subject themselves to social censure.
 History Lesson
Jeannette Armstrong
About Poet
 Jeannette Christine Armstrong OC is a
Canadian author, educator, artist, and activist.
 She was born and grew up on the British
Columbia's Okanagan Valley

About Poem
 In "History Lesson" the poet writes about the indigenous
people's first encounter with European settlers.
 She says how the European settlers demolished culture of the
indigenous people and exploited nature.
 To rule over the indigenes, the whites used violence and
racism.
 The poet tells us how the white colonisers ruined their culture,
exploited nature, and maintained dominance over them
through violence and racism.
Poem
Out of the belly of Christopher's ship
a mob bursts
Running in all directions
Pulling furs off animals
Shooting buffalo
Shooting each other
left and right.

Father mean well

waves his makeshift wand
forgives saucer-eyed Indians
Red coated knights
gallop across the prairie
to get their men
and to build a new world

Pioneers and traders

bring gifts
Smallpox, Seagrams
and rice krispies

Civilization has reached

the promised land.

Between the snap crackle pop

of smoke stacks
and multi-coloured rivers
swelling with flower powered zee
are farmers sowing skulls and bones
and miners
pulling from gaping holes
green paper faces
of a smiling English lady

The colossi
in which they trust
while burying
breathing forests and fields
beneath concrete and steel
stand shaking fists
waiting to mutilate
whole civilizations
ten generations at a blow

Somewhere among the remains

of skinless animals
is the termination
to a long journey
and unholy search
for the power
glimpsed in a garden
forever closed forever lost.
QUESTION AND ANSWERS
1. What did the white bring as gifts?
Ans: They brought smallpox, different alcoholic drinks and rice crisps
as gifts.
2. "Civilization has reached the promised land." Explain.
Ans: The Israelites were journeying from Egypt to the Promised Land
where milk and honey was supposed to flow. By coming to the land
of the native Red Indians, the European settlers felt they have come
to the Promised Land.
3. What is the green paper mentioned in the poem?
Ans: The green paper is the 20-dollar bill with the smiling picture of
Queen Elizabeth.
4. Explain "farmers sowing skulls and bones".
Ans: This is picture of violence that was unleashed on the natives by
the white settlers. When the natives challenged the white settlers,
they mercilessly killed them and even left their bodies in the farms.
So the farms were littered with skulls and bones of the natives.
5. What does "skinless animals" signify?
Ans: The skinless animals are the dead bodies of the natives and
animals that were killed by the European settlers. They killed the
animals for their fur, hides and meat. They also killed them for sport.
They killed the natives when the natives objected to the settlers'
looting their land and mineral and forest wealth.
6. Comment on the use of irony in the poem.
Ans: In her famous poem "History Lesson", the poet has used irony
very effectively. There is irony is the statement that the priest means
well when he waves his wand and forgives the native Indians. What
sins have the natives done to the priest to be forgiven by him? In fact
he is the intruder who has trespassed into the land of the natives and
so it is he who should be forgiven by them. There is greater irony in
the use of the word "gifts" by the poet. What are the gifts the
settlers bring and give to the natives? The poet says. "Pioneers and
traders bring gifts like smallpox, Seagram's. and rice crispiest. The
gifts they brought were diseases like small pox which was unknown
to the natives.
7. What is the theme of "History Lesson"?
Ans: The theme of "History Lesson" by Jeanette Armstrong is the
biased misconceptions related to the indigenous people by the white
settlers and how the white settlers destroyed the land, culture and
the life style of the natives. To rule over the indigenes, the whites
used violence and racism. The white settlers killed the animals of the
land for their fur, skin and meat. They also killed the animals for fun.
They destroyed the forests and the farmlands to build new cities.
They mined the land for minerals. When the natives resisted the
trespasses by the white settlers they mercilessly killed them and left
their bodies in the open field. Jeanette Armstrong is an Okanagan.
Her mother, Lilly Louie, was from Kettle Falls and belonged to the
Kettle River people, and Armstrong's father belonged to the
mountain people who lived in the Okanagan Valley. As an Okanagan
person, the land is intrinsically part of her identity. She feels very bad
at the wanton destruction done to the land, the wild animals and the
forests of her native land by the ruthless white settlers, who pretend
that they have to civilize the place and the natives.